Breaking Loose
by winoforever63
Summary: Julianne feels trapped in her marriage to the Commodore. When she finally decides to leave, she finds a mysterious pirate who just might be able to give her the release she needs. JackOC please R&R!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters.

Okay, my first fanfic with multiple chapters and such…hope you like!

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-Prologue- 

The nurse worked quickly, covering the two boys lying in front of her with blanket after blanket, hoping to sweat the fever out of them. Her usually cheerful, round face was contorted into a grimace of determination and touched with a hint of worry. She laid her ebony hands on each of their foreheads and pulled them back quickly. She reached down to their tiny arms and lifted up their wrists one at a time, her shaky hands searching for a pulse, but there was nothing. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. She couldn't stand seeing the boys who used to run and play and tell jokes to her just lying there, so unnaturally still and silent.

She opened the door to find her employers, who had treated her so well these past years, waiting in the hallway outside. Commodore Norrington was sitting with a bottle of rum, and she noticed that ever since the boys had gotten ill, he seemed to always have some kind of alcohol cradled to his chest. His wife, Julianne, was pacing back and forth, her golden hair pulled back into a careless braid and her young, attractive face pale with concern for her sons.

They looked up in unison as she came out of the room and curtseyed. She didn't have to tell them the terrible news for them to know, but they still needed her to say it. They were still holding on to a tiny shred of hope that something may turn out for the better.

She hated to be the one to tell them, to break up the once happy family. It was she who had been left with the responsibility to nurse them back to health, so confident in her abilities to do so. But for the first time in her life, her strong-willed soul had been left trapped behind a body weakened by lack of sleep. She had sworn not to rest until she knew those boys would be okay, and she had failed.

"I'm so sorry, miss," the nurse whispered. And the three of them cried together.

A week afterwards, Julianne would find the selfless, kind hearted woman hanging from a noose fashioned out of the very sheets her children had slept on until their last breath.

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Sorry, I know it was super short, but it's only the prologue and hopefully I'll have the first chapter in the next couple of days. 


	2. Problems in a Perfect Marriage

Okay, thanks to Charlotte Norrington and Spooky's Angel for reviewing! I really do appreciate it!

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-1 Year Later- 

Julianne Brady cowered in the corner, silently praying for everything to end. She pressed her hand against her cheek, and felt the light scratch which still stung from her husband hitting her with the very hand that bore his wedding ring.

"I dunno wha' the fuck you were thinking, Julie," James, sputtered, half-sympathetically, as if he felt guilty for his actions towards her. He was using the nickname he called her only when he was drunk. He staggered towards her, and crouched down to where his face was mere inches away from hers, and she could smell the rum in his breath and could have sworn she caught a faint whiff of another woman's perfume. She forced back tears as he placed a hand gently on her wounded cheek, which would be considered a loving gesture were it not for the circumstances. "Don't ya know I loved those kids juss as much as you?"

He let out a groan and fell, unconscious, to the floor. She poked him (not too gently,) to make sure he wouldn't wake up. Then she let out a deep breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and stood up, ignoring the throbbing pain in her…everything.

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-Earlier- 

She had been tidying up the kitchen -she never had gotten used to having servants do her cleaning for her in the six years she'd been married to the Commodore- when she looked in the garbage bin only to find the picture she had sketched of her children playing card games with their father a couple years before.

She pulled them out, infuriated that anyone would dare touch her preciousdrawings and had gone on to wail at all the servants for throwing somethingof hers away without inquiring with her about it first. They had all denied even touching it, so she left and curled up with it in the corner of her bedroom.

That was where her husband found her, and he asked her why she had pulled it out of the garbage when it was his decision to put it in there, and his word was law in this house. She tried to apologize, but she knew he was far too drunk to be reasoned with. He then went about chasing her with his belt and threatening her with slurred words.

It was not the first time that had happened, either. James Norrington had gotten into the habit of going to the tavern for a drink almost every single day of the week, not getting home until late,unless he was stuck in bed with aheadache he claimed was from the stress of work.

* * *

Julianne decided that she would leave that night. She realized she only had a few minutes to herself before one of the servants found her husband and woke him up, so she immediately ran up to her room and found an old bag. It was small, but she knew she couldn't take too many of her belongings in case it slowed her down. She took only what she needed, including her picture of her sons, and James' pistol he kept in his private chest and didn't think she knew about. She didn't know if she would need it, but she decided it would be smart to bring it, just in case. 

She peeked around the corner to find her husband snoring loudly in the corner and crept around him, down the stairs and out the front door.

Julianne had successfully gotten all the way into town relatively unnoticed. The fact that it was unusual, to say the least, for a young woman to be out alone at this time of night granted her some questioning glances from the soldiers patrolling, but she didn't give them a chance to verbally ask them.

She had trouble getting to the inn; on account of James never letting her out of the house since he started drinking. Looking up at the welcoming glow and feeling the warmth of the fire burning inside, a thought struck her. She knew she would stay at the inn for the night, but James would certainly come looking for her as soon as he woke up in the morning, and she didn't have anywhere else to go. She didn't bring enough money to get passage out of Port Royal, and she didn't have any family or friends to go to, except Elizabeth and Will Turner, but she was sure they were out on one of their terribly romantic voyages out at sea which they generally didn't return from for weeks or even months at a time. She never did have the heart to tell them how cruel James was to her, anyways; they had all been such good friends.

She looked around desperately. She definitely wasn't going back home. It wasn't her home anymore, and that man waiting there wasn't the man she'd married six years ago. Realizing she couldn't stay where she was for much longer, she ran, not knowing in the slightest where she was going.

She ended up on a drop-off overlooking the ocean. The view was beautiful. She sat down and stared at it for nearly an hour, humming a lullaby she had known since she was a child, not noticing someone behind her, listening intently to her.

She felt more confused than she had ever felt in her life. If she went back, her life would go back the miserable way she had just now escaped, and she didn't want that. On the other hand, if she ran around in Port Royal, her husband would surely send out all the British Navy until he found her and would most likely kill her for leaving him. She started crying and fumbling around in her bag, pulling out a black object that shone black in the moonlight.

She stood up slowly, brushed her hair out of her face and placed the barrel of James' pistol to her right temple. She had never used a gun before, but she figured you just had to pull the trigger, and it would all be over. She wouldn't have to worry about getting caught and tortured for the rest of her life.

She squeezed her eyes shut and was about to pull the trigger when...

"Ye don' want to be doing that, luv."

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Well, well, well! Who is this mysterious stranger that has come to save the day? I guess you'll just have to review and wait for the next chapter! 


	3. The Rescue

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"Ye don' want to be doin that, luv," she jumped at the sound coming from behind her, and she whirled around to locate the source of the voice. 

Her eyes finally settled on the man standing behind her. It was dark, but she just could make out his strange clothes and appearance. He was wearing a long, navy blue coat and vest over a shirt that might have once been white, a worn tri-corner hat over dark brown dreadlocks which had miscellaneous beads and trinkets woven through it randomly. He had a dark goatee that was parted into two braids on his chin. He was handsome, no doubt. But she immediately pushed that thought out of her mind and scolded herself for thinking such thoughts when she was married. Unhappily, but married all the same.

He took a careful step foreword, and for a moment she wondered why he was being so cautious until she remembered the gun she still held pointed to her head. She immediately brought it to her side and he seemed slightly more relaxed. She flushed slightly in embarrassment at being caught in such a desperate manner.

"Who are you to know what I want?" she snapped.

"Well, not just what you want, luv. It sure would be a shame to see pretty young lass like ye go down like this. What would your family think?" he said, his hands waving around dramatically in the air to emphasize his words.

"Your concern is noted, but you have no idea why I am here or if I have any family at all to care."

"There's got to be someone, luv."

"You sound quite sure of yourself. But as a matter of fact I have no family left, nowhere to go…." she trailed off, feeling ridiculous for practically pouring out her life to a complete stranger so she added quickly, "And I don't know you, so go away. I need to think."

He grinned, flashing a few gold teeth, and said "Well your way of thinking does seem a bit drastic, doesn't it?"

Suddenly, Julianne heard shouting off in the distance, and her stomach dropped. She could hear James' voice screaming out her name, and he was getting closer. She could just make out his figure on the edge of the town, waving his sword around maniacally.

"I'll take a stab at this and say you're Julianne, then?" he said, noticing the stunned look on her face. He looked at the figure coming towards them and snorted, "Well the Commodore seems a bit worried 'bout ye. And drunk. I don't remember him being this_ irresponsible_."

She couldn't move. He was coming to take her back with him, the one thing she didn't want, and she couldn't even get her eyes to move away from the approaching figure. She was very surprised and a tad grateful when she felt the stranger grab her arm and take her in the direction opposite of her town and her crazy husband.

* * *

He practically drug her towards a cove not very far from the cliff they had been standing before, and she could still hear the slurred threats coming from the direction of her husband. She saw the dark outline of a very large ship, and as she got closer, she noticed the tattered black sails and immediately recognized the ship as the infamous Black Pearl. Realizing that that was their exact destination, unless they planned on swimming away from Port Royal, she felt a shiver run down her spine. 

"You're a pirate!" she asked, afraid of the answer. He just ignored her, however, and kept running forward.

They finally made it to the ship, and a rope ladder was thrown down. The pirate told her to climb up in front of him, and she hesitated before he repeated himself and she reluctantly did as she was told.

Once she was all the way up, she stole a glance at the men that surrounded her nervously before the pirate came up behind her, shouting commands at them that she could only guess were commands to get the ship ready to leave. This obviously meant that he was not only a pirate, but a pirate captain.

She felt her stomach drop. She would be leaving Port Royal, her house, her life- maybe never to return. She knew she didn't have any good reason to stay, but was she going to be any better off with maybe dozens of dirty pirates who had probably been deprived of the company of a decent woman in God knows how long? At least with James, she knew what she was going to be doing every night; cleaning until James got home from the docks and an after-work trip to the tavern, getting yelled at for helping the servants with the cleaning, chased around the house and perhaps roughed up a bit, then carried off to bed with a riled up Commodore. Most all of her days would be spent this way, but she had absolutely no idea what to expect from pirates except what she read about in books, which were generally not very pleasant things.

"It's not too late to go back, luv," she jerked her head around at the sound of the rough voice belonging to the strange pirate.

"Go back to what?" she whispered, mostly to convince herself that she didn't have anything or anyone left in Port Royal.

"Well, in that case, I should introduce meself. Captain Jack Sparrow's the name." He said it with a smug sort of pride, sticking his chin up slightly and waited for her reaction. She gathered he expected her to swoon at him and jump up and down in meeting the infamous Jack Sparrow, but she struggled not to laugh as she replied, "Julianne Norrington."

His egotistical stance faltered as she spoke her last name. He looked a mix between disbelief and sympathetic as he reached a finger to lightly brush the scratch on her cheek.

"He give that to ye?"

She nodded and muttered, "I've received worse."

"Don' worry, he'll get what's coming to him sooner or later," he cleared his throat andthe sympathetic air that surrounded him immediately returned to his unmistakable portentous aura. "Right then, ye'll be sleeping in my cabin."

She gasped, "Mr. Sparrow, I am no whore! I am a married, respectable woman and I absolutely refuse to share a bed with you!"

"Then sleep on the floor, I don' mind either way.Of course if ye feel that strongly about it, ye can sleep with me crew. But I warn ye, they haven't been in the company of such a lovely lass as yerself in ages." He winked at her and grinned devilishly as she sighed heavily in frustration. "I'll show ye to yer room, then."

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	4. Keep Your Secrests

Jack's room was not at all what Julianne had expected. First off, it was clean. The bed was made, he had a small desk in the corner with organized stacks of books and paper...even his rum was put nicely in a glass cabinet next to his desk. The rum, of course, didn't surprise her, but she was still repulsed at the numerous bottles of alcohol, which explained his seemingly perpetual drunken state of being.

He apparently noticed the girl staring at his beloved rum and quickly exclaimed, "Don' even think about it, luv. I keep count of me rum bottles."

"Please, Mr. Sparrow! I would rather eat dirt than touch the stuff (she had to stifle another laugh at his bewildered expression,). And I would ask you not to call me 'love.' Julianne will do just fine."

"And I would ask you to please call me _Captain_ Sparrow." He corrected, mimicking her proper tone of voice. He stuck his nose high in the air and walked out, to do whatever infamous pirate captains did on their infamous pirate ships.

She was left standing in the strange room with no clue as to what she was supposed to do now. She noticed a mirror in the corner and walked over to it to inspect the exact damage her husband had inflicted upon her.

It was worse than she thought; she looked like she had fallen down the staircase. And she would know what that would look like, mind you. Her eye was circled with shades of purple and her lip was starting to swell. The scratch that ran from right under her ear down to her chin wasn't too deep, but there was still blood, which was now dry. She spat on a corner of her dress and did her best to wipe off the blood and dirt that had settled on her face during her little adventure.

Jack's bed was on the far right of the cabin, pushed up against the wall. Glossy red curtains were hanging down from the ceiling and surrounding it. She could tell they were real silk; she and James had similar ones hanging over their windows. They were very expensive and she could only guess that he had stolen them. Or at least bought them with plunder that he raided from some poor, helpless village or less armored ship.

She tried to get some sleep on his bed, which was actually very comfortable. She lay there, staring out a window on the opposite wall that looked out over the ocean, but she eventually got bored (and a little seasick) and looked around the cabin before confirming to herself that there was absolutely nothing to do and walked out to the deck.

There were many men working on the ship, swabbing the deck and what have you. She tried to ignore the glances she received from them, ranging from suspicious to lustful. She noticed a short, elderly man talking to Jack up at the helm. She walked towards them and jumped as soon as he saw her. Then he left, not even bothering to acknowledge her presence except to shake his head as he walked by her, muttering something under his breath about women onboard being bad luck.

For a moment she felt almost guilty, as if she were invading their space somehow, but she reminded herself that it was Captain Jack Sparrow who brought_ her_ onto the ship, she most definitely didn't _sneak_ on or anything of the like.

He must have noticed her uncomfortableness, because then he said, "Oh don't worry about ol' Gibbs, there. Terribly superstitious, that one is."

"I'm sorry...I really don't mean to impose on you on and your...erm...crew."

He waved his hand through the air, as if the idea was simply ridiculous, "Please, Julie. We're pirates, not your in-laws. Our whole life is imposing." He chuckled, and she couldn't help but smile along with him. 'Julie' didn't sound so bad coming through his lips, she decided.

She stared out at the vast body of water before her, many thoughts swimming through her head.

"Were ye really going to pull the trigger?" his voice cut through her thoughts like a knife, only to make way for new ones. Would she have really done it? She didn't know if she had the strength. Or was it cowardice? Did she wish now that she would have ended it all on that cliff in Port Royal? Was Jack Sparrow showing up to stop her a sign that she was meant to go on with her life?

"I don't know," she answered finally. It wasn't really an answer at all, she knew, but it seemed to satisfy him.

"Why were you up there in the first place? If ye don't mind me askin'."

More troubling thoughts. Her mind flashed back to her children, seeing them on the bed, pale and shivering...the sweet, sweet nurse hanging outside her bedroom window after they died...James not coming home until late with the smell of rum and cheap perfume clinging to his clothes...the bruises she had to hide...the humiliating questions...

Jack watched the girl as tears rolled down her fair-skinned face. He suddenly had the urge to hold her until every tear and all the pain she had inside was cast out to the ocean, never to return. He could see the pain in her eyes, ever since he found her back in Port Royal. He didn't know why he'd been so curious about the girl. Any other time he would have walked on by without a second thought. But she was different somehow...he didn't know why, but she was.

He walked over to her and looked into her bright green eyes that were flooded with painful tears, his dark chocolate orbs boring into hers.

She was obviously surprised- but didn't resist- when he lifted her chin up with his fingers and brushed his lips lightly against hers. He pulled away and brushed a strand of her golden hair out of her face.

"Your secrets are your own, luv. Keep them if you wish." and he walked back over to the wheel, surprised that she didn't nag him again for calling her 'luv'.

Neither of them mentioned the incident up at the helm, but rather, just went on as though nothing had happened, though it was obviously on both of their minds. Julianne ate dinner in Jack's cabin with him, not even realizing how hungry she was until she saw all the hot food set in front of her. She promptly refused as Jack offered her a glass of rum. She wasn't as polite as she knew she should be, but didn't think much about it since he didn't seem too disappointed.

She asked where they were headed to, and when he replied their destination was Tortuga where he was going to be meeting a couple of his friends, she groaned. She had heard stories of Tortuga, and she couldn't say that it was one of the places she would like to be seen. She was also very doubtful that any friends of Jack's would be very decent, either.

"Well, I'm beat," grunted jack, after they had finished eating and some men came in to clean up their empty plates. "I think it's time for bed, don't you?"

She almost nodded, before remembering that she had to share a bed with him. She wanted to decline, but her entire body was aching and too tired to argue, so she drug herself over to the bed, which looked so welcoming and comfortable.

She got settled underneath the blankets, moving as close to the wall as she could get. She didn't want to be responsible for any cuddling up to Jack in the middle of the night, mistaking him for James. She nearly gasped as a half-naked Jack got in after her, his tanned and muscled skin glowing in the candlelight, before he blew it out and they were left in complete darkness.

She closed her eyes and pushed any lewd thoughts right out of her head and soon her body gave in to sleep.


	5. Open Your Heart to Me

**Disclaimer:** I hope I'm not supposed to put these on every single chapter...cuz I haven't. But anyways I still don't own Jack Sparrow (inward sigh) or anything PotC...but I do own Julianne Norrington and the plot...I know lame. But you don't, so there!

**Authors Note (I'm being all professional now! teehee):** Ummm...I hope the story isn't moving to fast for any of you. Or too slow, for that matter. I'm doing the best I can to make it flow, and I stay up til the wee hours of the morning revising the chapters like a grammatical, obsessive-compulsive maniac before I post them, just so you all know how much I do for you ;-) If you have any suggestions or questions feel free to email me or post them in your review- and you _WILL_ review! And thanks to everyone who _has_ reviewed so far, of course! Luvs ya!

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She couldn't believe it. James had sent the entire Royal Navy out for her and they were here. She was helpless as they burst in on her in Jack's bed with him, grabbing her to take her back to her cruel and abusive husband. She looked back to see if Jack was alright, but was jerked around to see Commodore James Norrington's twisted grin of triumph instead.

They thrust her into his arms as he drug her to the back of the ship by her hair and threw her into his office. He wouldn't dare do anything too brutal in front of his men, so she could do nothing but wait to be taken back to her life which she had thought she escaped in Port Royal.

Her thoughts fell on Jack. She didn't know why, but she was worried about him. She hoped that their crew could put up a good fight to save themselves; she knew they had no choice in the matter of her coming onto their ship.

She opened the curtains of the window to take one last look at the Black Pearl and cried out in terror.

Jack Sparrow was hanging just outside the window, the exact same way she found the nurse last year; his eyes open and rolled back in his head and his handsome face was unnaturally pale and lacking in the sarcastic smirk he constantly wore.

* * *

She woke up soaked in her own salty tears and sweat, opening her eyes to first make sure that she was still in Jack's cabin, then looking to make sure Jack was still laying next to her. She found all to be as it should be, or, as it was before her dream, as she probably shouldn't be in a pirate ship with a womanizing pirate captain. Her arm was cramped, and she realized that she must have been holding on to him through the panic of her dream because they were wrapped around him, and her cramped left arm was trapped between him and the mattress.

She was slightly embarrassed and was glad he wasn't awake to see her blush or to make some sarcastic or suggestive comment.

She was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable, but didn't want to wake him up so he would move, so she placed her foot on the small of his back and tried to gently and slowly push him off of her arm.

She was almost free, and she gave one last push to jerk her hand out. She pushed a little too hard, though, because he went flying off the bed and landed in a heap on the floor underneath all the curtains he pulled down with him.

"Bloody 'ell!" he exclaimed, finding his way out of his silky prison.

She blushed furiously and mumbled an apology, "Sorry…you were on my arm."

He grinned wryly, and she knew what was coming next, "Just can't keep yer hands off me, can ye?"

She rolled her eyes and turned over, wrapping her arms around herself so as not to let a similar incident happen.

* * *

A few tedious days passed, during which Julianne spent her time with her nose in some books that Jack had left out for her, and she had been too moved by his actions to tell him how boring they actually were. She would read until she thought her eyes would just fall out of her sockets and then walk out to the helm and talk to Jack or stare out at the everlasting greenish-blue waters and let her mind wander. She ate with Jack, slept with Jack, talked to no one but Jack (and occasionally his first mate, Ana Maria,), and rumors were staring to fly. On the occasion that she did leave Jack's cabin, she did her best to keep out of the eyes of the other men onboard.

She couldn't say that she wasn't attracted to Jack, but she knew she shouldn't be. Not just because she was married, but because he's a pirate and she knew he would never have the same feelings for her. Although she did catch his gaze on her more than once, and found herself thinking back to the kiss they shared the other day. If you could call it an actual _kiss_...light as air, but full of emotion.

* * *

"I never answered your question" He obviously didn't hear her walk softly up behind him; she saw him jump ever-so-slightly out of his thoughts and turned to look at his visitor. She smiled, seeing the confusion on his face that she had learned to be so un-Jackish. "When you asked why I was up there. On the cliff, when I...you know." He saw the pain in her eyes and brushed her cheek gently with his fingers. "Julie, you don't have to-"

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. I mean...you did very well save my life," she felt the tears threatening to fall behind her eyes, and she didn't hold them back as she told him everything she had wanted to ever since the day she met him. Her dirt-poor childhood, her children, the nurse, James starting his regular visits to the bar, the other women she secretly knew about but never confronted him about. She suddenly felt as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. His face grew serious again, like when he was concentrated on steering the ship, she noticed.

She had never told anyone. Not even her best friend, Elizabeth. She let Jack hold her and lead her back to his cabin, where she sat down and let all the tears she had been holding back fall, clutching the shirt of this man who was practically a stranger to her. She hadn't known him for all of a week and now he knew practically everything about her.

He took his hat off and lay down with her, kissing her eyelids gently, and again she didn't resist as his lips found hers.

* * *

He didn't know why he stayed with her. He didn't know why he felt so strongly about her. He didn't know why he held her as she cried, comforting her like he wouldn't ever even imagined doing with anyone, after just a few days with her. He didn't know why he let his hands fall down her back and pull her nightgown over her head, and he didn't know why she didn't resist him or push him away.

All he knew is that that night, the rumors that had floated around the ship were now the truth.

* * *

Okay, we got a little romancin' going on here! For you slow folks who haven't caught on yet- they did it.

You know the drill! Review! Good or bad, but only the good ones give me nice, warm, fuzzy feelings that are very inspiring.;-) Please and thank ya!


	6. Jack's Meeting

**Authors Note:** Okay, as usual I love all of you who reviewed, seriously. So I couldn't wait to get this chapter up after allthe feedback I got, which may not seem like a whole lot to some of yous, but it is to me and I'm lovin' it! Sorry, I'mhaving a McFlurry and got all in the spirit of McDonalds...off-topic, I know! On with the story! ) Hope ya like!

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Julianne woke up, opening her eyes slowly, feeling the warm sheets against her bare skin. She sighed contently and rolled over, expecting to see her pirate lover next to her, but found the bed void of any pirates at all, just a covered tray in which she supposed was her breakfast.

She let her thoughts roam and find their way to the previous night. The entire length of it was filled with nothing but pure pleasure. Not like with James, where everything was rough and went according to the way he wanted it to go. But that was only after he started drinking. Before he had been gentle and loving, caressing her and whispering the three words she longed to hear throughout the last year.

Jack was in his own category, however. He took full control, but wasn't possessive. He wasn't as gentle as James, but she enjoyed every minute of it. Did she love him? She didn't know. She knew she loved James when she married him and gave birth to his children, but now she could barely stand the thought of him. She didn't feel guilty like she thought she would, and she didn't feel regretful, as if Jack took advantage of her. She knew fully well what she was doing and where it would lead. Jack had left the door open in case she wanted to leave, and she was the one who closed and locked it.

After she had eaten and dressed into some clothes Ana Maria had lent her, she walked outside to find Jack. She saw him at his usual place at the helm and snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She could tell he was surprised at her show of affection, and she was grateful when he returned her embrace, pulling her in front of him and placing a kiss on her expectant lips.

"Sleep well, luv?" he said against her forehead.

"Who slept?" she smirked. He smirked right back at her, something that she found made her knees weak.

"Ye were sleepin' like a baby when I left ye this mornin'."

She giggled and rested her head against his chest, inhaling his custom scent of seawater and rum, finding she enjoyed it. It was welcoming when it came off of him, not off of anyone else. A lot of things were different with him, she mused. Her thoughts were shoved back to the present as a man behind Jack yelled that Tortuga was in sight. She inwardly groaned, knowing it meant she had to leave her pirate so he and his crew could prepare to dock.

* * *

Julianne couldn't deny that she was curious about the sights, but politely declined the invitation to join Jack and his crew for a drink down at _The Faithful Bride_. Instead she stayed in his room and buried her nose in her pillow, suddenly feeling exhausted, and soon fell asleep.

* * *

Jack hated leaving the girl alone on the ship, but his men hadn't been on land for far too long now and none of them would volunteer to stay behind. He would have himself, but he had to search out his mates who were surely waiting for him, and neither of them were very fond of Tortuga themselves, even with one of them being a pirate. But he mostly figured she would be fine. He hid the Pearl as well as he could and doubted that the Commodore himself could find it if he had the entire Royal Navy helping him.

Still, he noted to be back as soon as he could to check on her. He was unsure that morning of whether she really wanted him like he wanted her, or if he was just a rebound of sorts. He decided against the latter when she came to see him after she woke up. James was out of the picture. At least, that's what he hoped, but he decided to dwell on that later; there were more pressing matters at hand.

* * *

Julianne awoke to footsteps coming from outside Jack's cabin. Thinking it was him coming back to check on her, she crawled out of the comfortable berth and tiptoed over to the mirror to adjust her appearance before peeking out the door to make sure she wouldn't be interrupting any of his piratey tasks.

She put a hand over her mouth to cover her gasp at the sight before her. Two men in red and white uniforms with muskets and swords were sneaking around the deck, quietly checking every nook and cranny in their sight. They were unmistakably of the Royal Navy, and she had to pinch herself to make sure it wasn't another dream.

Unfortunately, it wasn't.

"Are you sure this is the right ship?" said a young man with long hair tied back into a neat ponytail.

The one accompanying him, who was a bit older and had short, brown hair, looked around nervously, "Shhh! Of course it is. It has black sails, don't it? This is right where the lad told us it would be. And why else would it be hiding this good unless they was holding someone prisoner?"

This seemed to satisfy the younger one and they cautiously walked through the door leading down to the brig. Julianne recognized this as her chance to get away and, without hesitating, ran out the door and down the ladder towards the arguing and gunshots coming from what could only be Tortuga.

"Kidnapped my foot," she fumed, not believing that James even cared if she came back or not. He probably just needed someone to own.

* * *

She found Jack at the busiest tavern on the entire island, which only added to her temper; of course Jack had to make everything as inconvenient for her as possible.

She could tell he was carrying a conversation with someone, his arms waving around animatedly as usual, but she couldn't tell who exactly he was talking to. She walked around a group of husky, bearded men she recognized from the ship, each with a giggling, overly madeup woman on his knee. When she finally got a good look at the two people in Jack's company, she gasped.

"Elizabeth? Will?" she shrieked in delight at seeing her two friends and ran over to embrace them both tightly.

Their mouths were open in shock. "I told ye she's fine. I been takin' care o' her this whole time," Jack said, looking quite proud of himself, like a boy proving he can take care of a goldfish.

Elizabeth was the first of the flabbergasted couple to speak, "Julianne? We thought you'd been kidnapped! James told us-"

"Tha' wanker was the reason she left in the first place. Turns out your beloved Commodore isn't as noble as he's made out to be, is he?" Jack interrupted her with a smirk. "What are ye doing out here anyways, luv? Thought big, bad, Tortuga didn't quite appeal to yer senses."

Suddenly Julianne remembered, "The red coats..." she muttered. Seeing the confused looks on all three faces in front of her, she said impatiently, "James sent the entire bloody Royal Navy out for me! They're here!"

Jack immediately called to his crew and within a few moments, he had left Julianne and Elizabeth with nothing but Will to comfort them and the command to stay exactly where they were. She was too panicked to move, anyways, and after a long while, shefell into the chair across fromElizabeth, who had sunk into the chair opposite her of the table.

Elizabeth looked almost as scared as her, though she knew it was what Jack had said that put her in such a state. "I uh...James...did he?" she stammered, pointing shakily to the marks Julianne had over her face. The bruise was now a yellowish color and her lip had shrunk back to its normal size, but it was still obvious that something violent had happened to her.

Julianne nodded, and felt almost guiltyfor thehorrified look on Will's face, and thedisbelief on Elizabeth's. She hated making James out to look like an abusive drunk, even though that's exactly what he was.

Elizabeth sighed, "I'm so sorry, Jule. I had no idea, you never...Ugh...I just want to get out of this horrible place and return home. When are we leaving, Will?"

Will shook his head gently and put an arm around his wife, "I don't know, darling. I hate this place as much as you do, but we have to wait for Jack before anything happens. I can't wait to confront James about this and see him removedfrom his position. And sent to jail and-" He was cut off by an obese drunken man who had staggered over to Elizabeth, and mumbled something about a private room in the back. Elizabeth's face held nothing but pure disgust and Will pulled his arm tighter around her before pushing him away roughly. Julianne laughed softlyat how misplaced the couple looked, with their clean and ironed clothing and neatly brushed, shining locks of hair framing their faces perfectly. She, however, looked like a pirate herself. She was wearing an outfit of Ana Maria's, who was, in fact, a woman, and about the same size as Julianne.

They didn't have to wait very long until Jack waltzed back through the door and practically pushed them outside.

"Is everything alright?" Julianne asked, as soon as they were free of the buzzing cacophony that was The Faithful Bride.

"Peachy, luv." Jack grinned, but Juliannecould see something in his eyes that didn't agree withhis statement.He then solemnly looked at Elizabeth and Will, "So, our buisness is done here. It's been nice working with you, but we must go. Now." He tipped his hat to the confused looking couple and took Julianne by the arm, leading her towards the ship.

"Jack! Wait, I-" she tried to protest,not wanting to leave the company of her friends so soon. Soon Will, followed shortly after by Elizabeth, had caught up with them and blocked there path, making Julianne stumble at Jack's abrupt stop.

"Yes, can I help you?" Jack asked, as if he had never met them before.

"Jack, we had hoped to take Julianne home. With us." Elizabeth spoke slowly, seeing the confused look on Jack's face. He meant to say something, but Will spoke first, "Where's our ship?"

They all looked around, trying to locate Will's beloved ship which was named, surprisingly, _Elizabeth.__

* * *

_

A couple hours later, they were all four on The Black Pearl and out on the great blue sea, after searching desperately for the modest ship and hearing that someone had already taken it. An hour of fuming at the poor, confused man, they decided that Jack would take them back to Port Royal after things settled down.

* * *

I'm sorry, it's an abrupt and semi-retarded ending, I know. And I don't really know how the security system is on the docks in the Caribbean in the 18th Century or whatever. But I am having SERIOUS writer's block and I'm not that good to begin with, so it's like double-ouch. But I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as possible for those of you who actually read this, kay?


	7. Stick to the Code

A/N: Hope I didn't make you all wait too long. I promise never to make you wait so long for an update ever again. Unless of courseI forget...

Gotta give props to one of my reviewers - Smithy - real quick -Yes you did predict Will's reaction quite accurately, didn't you? I swear you've gotsta be psychic ;-)

* * *

Jack had gotten to the ship and snuck up behind the two young men easily enough. He knocked them out and had Gibbs take them down to the Brigg. He wanted to question them; he doubted that two amteur half-wits like them could find his ship without help.

He mentioned this to Gibbs, who he knew he could trust with his life, butthe old manmerely shrugged it off, saying it was 'bad luckto accuse a man of traitorin' behind his back'.

His head was swimming with troubling thoughts. Why would one of his crew betray him? Could it have been Julianne? No, he knew it wasn't her, she wouldn't have sent the Navy to her just to run back to him. It had to have been one of his crew, but why? He had always treated them with as much respect as they did towards him, always abides by the code. Of course he knew this was in violation of the code and whoever had done such a thing would have to be marooned, something he hated to do to someone after what he went through, but he had to stick to the code.

Jackwas so caught up in his thoughts that he almost set sail without returning for Julianne, and Captain Jack Sparrow never makes mistakes.

* * *

-A week Later-

Julianne gently knocked on the door of Jack's cabin. She heard no answer, but knew perfectly well that he was inside, so she tried to push the door open, only to find that it was locked.

"Jack?...Jack, I know you're in there," she said as gently as she could. She was about to call to him again, but the door flew open and she was nose-to-nose with the Captain of the Black Pearl.

She was speechless at how terrible he looked. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and he was noticably paler than usual, with large circles under each eye, and had lost disturbingly too much weight for just a week, even considering the fact that he rarely came out of his room, and wouldn't let anyone in, including Julianne. She had been sleeping with Will and Elizabeth in the spare bunk that Jack said he _always _kept in the back, and she decided to just ignore the fact that he didn't offer her said bunk when she arrived, and concentrated on trying to get him out of his room, first. And finally here he was. In the flesh- if just barely so.

"What!" he said finally, a little to sharp for Julianne's taste.

"Jack, you look horrible!I'm going to goget you something to eat, and-"

"I'm fine, Julianne." He interrupted her, and almost shut the door in her face, but she spoke again, determined to make him let her in.

"But Jack, if you just let me in you could tell me-"

"I'm doing all fine by me wilties, alright?"

"Why don't you just talk to me and-"

"Or, ye could bloody leave me alone for one bloody minute so I can think, hm?"

She was getting very frustrated with him interrupting her and attempting to shut her out, and mostly she was worried about what he was doing to himself, and he finally pushed too hard.

"Gods, no wonder James hated you so much, you annoying-"

This time it was her turn to block him from finishing his sentance with a swift move of her hand followed by a sickening crack that filled their ears. A red handprint was already forming on his cheek, and her face was flushed with anger. Her next words were so low he could barely hear them, but they put the fear in himthat he put into many men's hearts himself with just a look.

"You have no right." She took a breathin, trying to calm herself, then slowly exhaled."Jack, I'm only worried about you. You've been in there all week and you need to come out sometime to eat or you'll _bloody_ starve to death! You can't shut me out, Jack. I want you to tell me what is going on right NOW!" She stomped her foot and looked up into his widened eyes.A look of utter defeat andweariness flashed across his handsome featuresand he let go of the side of the door andstaggered over to the other side of the cabinto sit on the bed.

The room looked exactly the same as the last time, except the books were strewn about everywhere on his desk.

She joined him on the bed, laying her head on his shoulder. She wasn't sorry for what she had done, she knew he deserved it, but she was sorry that he was so distraught that he would say something that she knew he wouldn't have if he hadn't been so utterly exhausted with whatever he had been doing this past week."Please tell me what's wrong. You know you can trust me, don't you?"

He snorted, "Can't trust anyone now, luv."

"What do you mean?"

"Betrayed! I've been trying to find some loophole, some...ambiguity in the damned code. Do you know what the penalty for betrayal is?"

Julianne shook her head, still feeling confused, but not wanting to make Jack any more upset.

"Maroon. I've got to throw Gibbs on some God forsaken spit of land so he can watch us sail away-"

She thought of the elderly man. He had never been unkind to her, but she knew he wasn't in favor of her staying onboard with them. But he had always seemed so loyal and obedient to Jack's every command. "Jack, I don't understand. Gibbs betrayed you? How so?"

* * *

After they had set sail, Jack went down to the brig tointerrogate the two young men inside. He stopped at the door when he heard someone talking to them just barely above a whisper, and he had to strain his ears to hear them.

"I told ye to bring some more. Ye aren't gonna get the Cap'n with jus' the two of ye." He couldn't tell who it was, just that it was a man. Which ruled out Ana Maria.

_Excellent progress, _he thought to himself.

"Well excuse us for not trusting _pirates_," saidone ofthe young men. _Aha, he was a pirate! ...wait, no progress there_. "And we had a whole ship of us, thank you. But they told us to go on foot to look for the Black Pearl and report back anything we found before we attacked."

So whoever it was almost got them all killed! He couldn't hear what was said next so he leaned further into the door, but there was no room to do so,resulting inthe door flying open and the Captain stumbling down the steps to the floor of the brig.

He quickly looked up to see who it was that wasskirting aroundbehind his back, and saw only the two flustered men in red coats and-

* * *

"Gibbs," Jack threw his arms up in the air, which would look almost comical if it weren't for the grave expression on his face. Julianne had never imagined Jack could break down like this, merely over one of his seamen that could easily be replaced.

"Jack, it's alright," she didn't know what to say. She stood up next to him and put her arms around his neck, patting him gently on the shoulder.

"Ye don' understand! It was Gibbs...I trusted him. I can't do that to him, what my crew did to me. Screw the code...screw the bloody guidelines! He's my friend. I'll just kick him off at the next island and-"

Jack was cut off by pounding on the door, and AnaMaria burst in, an anxious expression on her face. "Captain, it's the Commodore! He's been following us and...he's catching up!"

* * *


	8. Games and Betrayal

Disclaimer: I still don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters.

A/N: Thanks, as usual, to all of my reviewers! You are my inspiration, I love you all!

* * *

Jack could feel Julianne's grip tighten around his shoulders. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and kissed her on the forehead to calm her before grabbing his shirt and cutlass and following Ana Maria out the door and onto the deck. 

They passed by Gibbs, who reluctantly looked to Jack with guilt and fear mingled in his dark eyes. Jack couldn't look to the man he used to call a friend with the pride and respect he once had in his heart for him. He knew he couldn't maroon the man, the code be damned. He would kick him off at the next town and let the local authorities have their way with him.

Looking ahead towards the horizon, he saw the closing silhouette of a respectable sized warship bearing white sails and the flag of England. They were to close to outrun, but Jack still had every confidence that he and his loyal crew could defend themselves and have their victory, betrayal or no.

"Load the cannons!" He yelled to one of his men, then turning to Ana Maria, "drop the anchor on the starboard side."

"Then what?"

"Prepare to fight."

* * *

After Jack had left, Julianne was left sobbing on the bed she had longed to lay in with Jack for the last week. Now she feared she may never get that chance again. She was soon accompanied by Elizabeth, who came rushing into Jack's cabin naught but two minutes after he had left. 

"Julianne is it true? He's come to take you back, hasn't he?" Julianne felt the bed groan as she was joined by her friend on the bed, and was soon wrapped up in a sisterly embrace.

"Oh, Elizabeth! I just can't go back. I'll die first!" She sobbed into Elizabeth's shoulder.

"Jack would never let that happen."

Julianne desperately wanted it to be true, but she forced herself to remember that he was a pirate. He would never settle down, never love any one woman. To him, she was just something to look forward to at night...nothing more. But her feelings for him were different.

"I love him." she hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud, and looked up to find Elizabeth grinning knowingly at her. She looked back down at her hands, realizing how naive she must sound. "But I can't! He doesn't care anything for me, I know it! I mean nothing more to him than one of his Tortuga whores."

"Don't be utterly ridiculous. It's obvious the way he feels about you."

Julianne looked back up, daring to let a drop of hope find its way into her heart, "What do you mean?"

Elizabeth smiled warmly, "I can see it in his eyes. The way he looks at you. Like James did, before...oh Julianne, I should have noticed. I don't know why I was so stupid. Will and I were always gone and I have known James for so long that I just couldn't imagine him being so..." her voice trailed off and tears started to fill her own eyes, but Julianne mustered up her strength to fill her voice with as much resolve as possible.

"Nonsense. There was nothing you could do; I was the only one with a choice to stop it. I shouldn't have let it get so bad."

"You've changed so much. Just in these past weeks. I'm so happy you and Jack-" but Elizabeth never got a chance to finish. The door to burst open to reveal a bloody and obviously infuriated James Norrington. And before Julianne knew what was happening, a shot rang through the air, and Elizabeth fell back limply onto the bed.

The face she had prayed every night she would never have to see again grinned maliciously at her, "Miss me, darling?"

She screamed and looked down to Elizabeth, then back up at the maniacal, haunting face of her husband, who was now pointing a bloody hand holding a pistol pointed directly at her. She could see Elizabeth was still breathing, but she didn't know how long she could live with such a wound.

"What? All this time we've been apart and not even a hello?" He said, cocking the gun. The sickening click of the bullet being put into place also made all the anger she had built up inside her explode within, and she felt as if it were pouring out through her skin. "It's to my understanding that you've been quite unfaithful. Tell me, is this true?"

"No more than you have, _darling,_" she put as much disgusted emphasis on the last word. Seeing the look on his face take a surprised tone, she spoke again, "Tell me, did you get bored of all the whores in Port Royal? Or was it that they didn't fancy the idea of sleeping with a woman beater?"

He took a menacing step forward, "If I was in your place, I wouldn't be saying such things."

"And if I was in yer place," said a husky voice behind James, "I would put the gun down and step away from the girl."

* * *

Jack watched, pleased with himself at the fury and menace in his own voice as James froze at his words. He clutched at his stomach, which was bleeding furiously from the wound caused by the Commodore's sword. He had to force his legs not to collapse under him and hardly felt as confident as he sounded, but he couldn't let the girl go. In a movement quick enough that the slightly distracted Jack Sparrow didn't know what was happening, James had Julie held tight in front of him with the pistol pressed roughly against her temple. Jack cursed himself for letting his thoughts run away with him like that.

"I would suggest you lower your weapon, Sparrow. I'm feeling a bit drastic." He said, pressing the gun impossibly further into her head for emphasis. "This is the second time I've lost a woman to a pirate, and I can't let this mutilate my reputation further."

Jack smirked. He knew how to play this game. "Go ahead, kill the wench. And if I was ye I'd be thinking about more than me reputation, mate." Julianne's eyes widened, and he so desperately wanted to tell her that he wasn't serious, how much he needed her with him, but he had to keep up his act or it would be the end of both of them.

James raised an eyebrow, "Really? I could kill the girl right now and youwouldn't tryto stop me?"

Jack shrugged, "She was a good lay, butI've had my use out of her, I just don' want to have to clean up both yer body's worth of blood off me bedroom floor."

"You bastard!" screamed Julianne. Jack barely winced, but that was all thatJames needed.

"I don't believe you. You could have dropped her off at any port along the way. So I'll just have to make a deal with you. You come back with me to Port Royal, I let the girl go. Or I could kill the girl and you both, but it's so much work."

"Ye'd kill yer own wife? What would those high-class folks back home think about that?"

"I don't think they would be at all surprised to find out she had been raped and killed by a certain Mr. Sparrow on her little adventure."

Jack contemplated this. He could go back to Port Royal, let the girl have her chance at a good life. Or he could watch James put a bullet in her head and kill him afterwards. Either way he would lose, somehow he knew that his life wouldn't be the same without her with him like she had been the past weeks. He then realized something, something that had been tugging at the back of his mind, but he subconsciously chose to ignore. He loved her.

He couldn't stand it anymore; the woman he loved was at the mercy of his worst enemy. He knew then that death was better than living without her. He had to surrender.

* * *

Julianne saw the look in his eyes and she knew what was going to happen. She couldn't let James take Jack back to Port Royal. She realized how stupid she had been, Jack did love her. He was trying to protect her by bluffing. She had never wished more than at that moment that she could turn back time, but she knew what she had to do instead.

"I'll go with you!" She screamed before Jack had a chance to speak.

"What?" they both spoke in unison, questioning looks on their faces.

"I'll go home with you, James, but you must promise to leave Jack and the crew alone. And you must take Elizabeth to get medical treatment, she's still breathing." she hoped it wasn't a completely foolish thing to do, but she knew Jack would surely be hanged if he were taken back to Port Royal.

"Well, if you will truly come back with me, I swear on pane of death, the Black Pearl's crew will be left completely unharmed, and dear Elizabeth will be nursed back to health if it's the last thing I do."

Julianne could plainly see the pleading in Jack's eyes for her to not do this, but she knew she had to. She timidly walked up to him, hoping that James wouldn't stop her, and brushed her lips across his cheek. Then she felt a hand grab her roughly by the arm and looked up at the jealous face of James, before stealing one last glance at Jack and her freedom, getting farther away with each step.

James practically dragged her over a plank to his ship, where she was gifted with a warm blanket by one of the Lieutenants aboard the Royal Navy ship. None of these respectable men had any clue of the actions of her husband that caused Elizabeth's wound and the cruelty that filled his otherwise empty heart.

She saw two men carrying a semi-conscious Elizabeth onboard also, and presumed to follow them, but felt an arm curl around her shoulders, which would seem a loving gesture, but she felt only hate towards the man holding her at that moment. However, she thought of the reason she was doing this; Jack, and she let James walk her to his office.

She looked over to the man she recognized as Mr. Gibbs, the superstitous man Jack had accused of betrayig him. She saw him collecting his payment for turning in the infamous Jack Sparrow and his crew. She fought the urge to run over to him and claw his eyes out, and contented herself with the hope that his guilt would eat him from the inside out.

"If you ever try to leave like that again, I will kill you."Jamesdeep voice ripped her out of her thoughts as he spoke just loud enough for her ears to catch his words. He thrust her into his office and locked the door behind her. She was alone, just like in her dream. She looked over to the window, hoping reality wouldn't follow parallel to her dream when she opened the window, but she couldn't resist a last glance at the place that had given her the freedom she had so wanted just a few weeks ago, and the love she found with the pirate scoundrel.

She let her eyes rest upon the magnificent ship for a moment, and felt her stomach drop as flame erupted onboard. She saw men jumping off as the flames grew, explosions and smoke filled the gray sky above, and her eyes filled with tears for what seemed like the hundredth time that long night. Tears of hate towards the cold man that was unfortunately her husband, tears for the life of undoubted agony that lay ahead of her, tears for all the people caught in the explosion on the Black Pearl. Will, Ana Maria, and the man she wished she could be with the most...the man she loved. Captain Jack Sparrow.

* * *

Hmm...it's not over. I am not really satisfied with this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. I was hoping for more tragedy and tearworthy stuff, but I just don't know what more to do with it.

Whatever, now review! Good or bad….I've prepared meself.


	9. Return to the Way Things Were

Disclimer: I _still _don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters, so I'll be super happy if I don't get sued.

A/N: Thanks to the reviewers for, well, reviewing!

* * *

Julianne's tears didn't stop until she drifted off into sleep, curled into a ball on the floor. She was unsure of where exactly they were in the Caribbean, and how long it would be until they were back in Port Royal. She was extremely worried about Elizabeth's well-being and how she would react to the outcome of the Black Pearl and its occupants. She felt herself falling into depression at the thought of all the lives lost to her, only wanting to stay alive for her dear, and now only, friend Elizabeth.

During her deep slumber, she was joined by the Commodore. He stared at her, genuinely contemplating the reason that she would want to join with a band of pirates instead of safe at home with him. Of course, he knew the answer, but he didn't want it to be true. He searched in his desk drawer for a flask and upon finding it, swallowed a large mouthful of the expensive brandy before hesitantly throwing it out the window.

He turned back to his wife. Things would be different now. He wanted things to be the way they were before the fateful night of his sons' deaths. He wrapped a blanket around the sleeping woman's shoulders before quietly opening the door and exiting the room, silently swearing to himself that they would return to their happy lives, and she would never want to leave him again.

* * *

The next morning, Julianne found herself entangled in an unfamiliar object, and the memory of the previous day's events flooded back to her, making her head spin with anger. James didn't fulfill his promise, and now because of him, so many lives were lost. She silently swore vengeance upon the man who would nowsurely make her life a living hell.

She didn't remember wrapping herself in a blanket, but she decided to ignore the matter and find the whereabouts of Elizabeth before she did anything.

Elizabeth's reaction to the news of Will was quite disturbing to Julianne. She mostly expected her to break down and cry for hours on end into Julianne's shoulder, and she would join Elizabeth in mourning. However, she said naught a word and her face went completely livid. She stared out the window and didn't even move until they got to Port Royal a week later.

* * *

Six weeks time passed by and Julianne was forced to return to her life previous to the encounter with Jack Sparrow. Shockingly, Julianne didn't have to hide anymore bruises or black eyes; it would seem that James' anger toward her had subsided quite generously. Even when she had screamed at him and pounded on his chest, screaming obscenities she never would have dreamed to leave her lips, but she was so full of motley emotions that she couldn't contain them any longer. He stood without an expression on his face, and her fists making contact with his chest didn't even seem to faze him. She ended up collapsing on the couch and refusing to let him touch her. He strode out of the room and she heard him pounding on the wall in frustration, ever grateful it wasn't her in the wall's place.

In the weeks that followed, he never once raised his voice or hands to her. He didn't treat her with the complete love and cherishing she so longed for, but the lack of physical abuse was definitely something to be thankful for.

Elizabeth still hadn't spoken a word since she heard of Will's assumed death. It was like she was a ghost of herself, and Julianne would have to shout at her just to get a reaction, and even then it was just an empty glance inher general direction. She had eventually given up trying to start a conversation and concentrated on just trying to get her to eat regular meals everyday.

As she adjusted to her old routines, she remembered how much she despised it. Possibly more so now that she had been introduced to the carefree lifestyle of pirates. She was reluctantly attending boring social gatherings and tea parties where she was encouraged day after day to tell of her horribly frightening experience at sea with such immoral beasts. She fought the urge to retort that the only immoral beast she had ever had the displeasure of being with was the Commodore himself.

She had a whole new wardrobe fitted and purchased for her, and she was stuffed into tight corsets and tiny, high-heeled boots every morning. She surrendered into the torture willingly, for she knew she had nothing else to do but give in to the social expectations of the high class women who prided themselves on their emphasized yet untouchable bosoms and luxurious locks that were never a hair out of place.

After an excruitiatingly boring and drawn out meeting with Governor Swann of Elizabeth's progress, or lack thereof, Julianne was at home poking her dinner absentmindedly with her fork. James was still out, and she feared that he was returning to his old habits. Troubling memories found their way into her mind and one of the servants, a young girl named Jane, made her presence known with a shy knock on the wall. "Miss? Someone is here to see you."

She looked up from her plate, startled. She supposed it wasAllan O'Connor, a kindly old Irish man who had been the only one to ever suspect anything violent going on in the Norrington residence. He had been gracing her with his concerned presence ever sinceshe had gotten back. She contemplated the idea of just sending him on his way, but decided against it asshe feltshe could use a little friendlycompany. "Alright, I'll be right there."

She set her empty wine glass next to the half empty wine bottle of which the missing contents were all now in her stomach. Not thinking about Jack had been harder than she had imagined, and she found herself picking up James old drinking habits in attempts to rid her thoughts of the roguishly handsome pirate that had completely stole her heart and left nothing for her husband to win back with his suddenly improved manners.

_Impeccable timing, James_, she thought bitterly asshe walked through the hallway towards the entry room. Her stomach dropped as she saw that her visitor was not Mr. O'connor, but in factAna Maria, one of the many whom Julianne had assumed was lost in the dreadful events of six weeks ago along with Will and Jack and the rest of the crew.

Julianne found herself at a loss for words, but inside, she was raging with emotion. She dared to let her hopes rise a bit. Perhaps this meant others had made it out of the explosion...Will? Jack?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Ana Maria decided to break the silence. "Julianne...I'm here because...Jack. They've got him and Will in the prison. They're going to be hanged!"

* * *

You didn't really think I'd kill all those pirate scoundrels off, did you? I'm not that mean! ...well maybe I am, but I was having a good day, lucky for you so I decided to make a semi-happy ending for this chapter...or itcould just make you pee your pants with anticipation! Patience is virtue, dearies!

Oh and reviews would be nice,please n thank ya!


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